Moistening device.



R. F. CRITTENDEN.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED FEB. 25, 1914.

1 9 1 9?,449 Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

RICHARD F. CRIT'IENDEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER M. TI-IYES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed February 25, 1914. Serial No. 821,017.

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD F. CRrrTEN- DEN,a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, and whose post-office address is 525Market street, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMoistening Devices; and I dojhereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make,use, and practise the same.

Among the many objects of the invention are, to provide a device of thischaracter, so designed that it canbe constructed wholly of metal; toeliminate all absorbents, such as sponges, wicks and the like from themoistener; to provide an air locked reservoir for the supply ofmoisture,automatically delivered, without the interposition of valves or movingparts.

The invention possesses other advantageous features that with theforegoing will be set forth at length in the following description,wherein I shall outline in full that form of the invention selected forillustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thepresent specification. The novelty of the invention will be included inthe claims following said specification. From this it is apparent that Ido not restrict myself to the showing made by said drawings andspecification; as I may adopt many variations within the spirit of thisinvention, as exposed in said claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross section of amoistening device constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2-is a plan view from above of the same. Fig. 3- is a similar view takenon the line IIIIII.

Constructz'om-In detail the construction as illustrated consists of thetubular reservoir 1, with the closed bottom 2, and the top 3, having theopening 4, therethrough. The reservoir thus constructed is air looked,that is to say, water confined therein will not spill or flow outexcept, by capillary or similar force, or by a side shake or jar thatwill break the air lock or vacuum created behind the body of water whenthe reservoir is in verted. The top 3 is spaced down from the upper edgeof the tube, forming the sides of the reservoir, about one-quarter of aninch,

in practice this distance proving about correct. This space 5 will varysomewhat accordlng to the proportions of the device. The open end of thecap 6 telescopes over the reservoir 1, until the top 7 abuts the upperedge of the tube. The top of the cap is provided with a multiplicity ofsmall openings, or perforations 8, better to distribute the waterdischarged from the reservoir. For ease in manufacturing it ispreferable to perforate this cap with a multiplicity of round holes.This is not abritrary however, as narrow slits or fancifully shapedperforations will serve equally well, so long as theyare small enough toprevent an excess of water gushing through the gap.

' The top 3 acts as a bufier plate to break the force of the water orliquid within the re ceptacle or moistener when the latter is invertedfor use, and thereby prevents the contents of the moistener squirtingout through the perforations or openings 8 each time the device isinverted.

Operation-This device is operated as follows: The cap is removed and thereservoir submerged or otherwise wholly or partially filled with water,so that the water does not rise above the top 3, the cap is then placedin position, being forced down until its top abuts the edge of the tubeas described. The gummed surface to be moistened is laid upon a smoothsurface, with the gummed side up. The moistening device is inverted andpassed across the top of the gummed surface, with sufficient pressure tocreate a slight vacuum in each tiny perforation in the cap, suflicientto withdraw the water held therein. The water thus drawn through theperforated cap is replaced by Water flowing through the opening 4, dueto the violent agitation of the water incidental to the operation of thedevice, in being passed across the gummed surface as described. Thewater thus applied to the gummed surface is distributed by the drag ofthe cap over the surface. The sm allness of the openings in the cap andtheir close contact with the gummed surface prevent the entrance of asufiicient volume of air to release an excess of water when the airlockof the reservoir is broken; this smallness of these openings alsoprevents the discharge of any excess quantity of water from the space 5.

Among the advantages of this invention might be mentioned its sanitaryconstruction Wholly of metal, hard rubber, celluloid orothersuitable.materials having no chemical reactionv with Water. no affinity for thegummed surface, no gum is removed therefrom. The Whole device-beingcompact and self contained is convenient- 1'n 'operation and may becarried in the pocket. There 1s not moist surface. such as capillarymoisteners have, so it is not a source of damage if exposed. upon desks,as the Water Will not flow therefrom if the moistener is. accidentallyupset orpapers laidrup n t Having thus described this invention,vvhatis. claimedfand desired to secure by Letters Ba t 1 99mg; 11; t ntvvnatqntmnax 9 ht ee The cap having I five cents reach, by addressing the"Commissioner 01 Patents.

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